Lots of people think that networking is just for extroverts, and to be successful, you need to be outgoing and love being with people. Not true. As long as introverts understand themselves, it’s possible to be just as successful, or perhaps even more so.

Introverts have one huge advantage over extroverts. We’re more comfortable with listening. Our challenge is not taking our ability to listen too far and forgetting to talk occasionally.

It’s possible to develop a reputation as a “great conversationalist” by listening. What’s most people’s favorite topic? Themselves. Give them space to talk, and they’ll be delighted. Ask a few great questions, and they will remember you.

What are some good questions? How about these:

1. How are you different from your competition?
2. How would I recognize a good client for you?
3. Can you tell me a story about how you helped a client?
4. What’s a challenge you’re facing in your business or life, and how could I help?
5. Is there someone you’d particularly like to be introduced to?

How would you feel if someone asked you those questions? Having them ready to ask will get you beyond the awkward silence that inevitably falls after you’ve exchanged “What do you do?”

Asking questions and listening are a good start, but they are only part of your challenge. You also need to manage your energy. What do I mean by that? As an introvert, being with people costs you in energy, as opposed to extroverts who gain energy by being with people. Introverts, you need to respect that.

You do it by managing your schedule, setting goals and being reasonable in your expectations. By reasonable, I mean, you probably can’t attend a networking event every day, and that’s okay. Build downtime and “me” time into your schedule.

When you are planning to attend an event, set a specific goal. Once you’ve reached your goal, you know you can leave. If you still feel great and are enjoying yourself, by all means stay longer, but if you’re feeling tired, you know it’s okay to go home.

To sum up, introverts, you can be great networkers, as long as you work with your strengths and manage your energy. Now, get out there and network well!

Image credit: RCraig09 under a Creative Commons License